Illinois Public Media News

Illinois legislators have adjourned a second day of a special session on school funding after just minutes. The House and Senate met briefly Thursday, but didn't take up any action.  

On the 21st: Many Midwest farmers say low prices for important crops are making 2017 a hard year. Plus, youth sports leagues are trying to make sure the kids - and not their parents - are the real focus of youth sports games. And, armadillos are being spotted in central Illinois - farther north than they've ever been.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has launched a website to show that most school districts stand to gain more state funding under his plan than under the Democrats' plan. How he calculated those numbers is a question reporters have asked repeatedly. We turned to the state board of education for answers.

Nurse Catherine “Bizz” Grimes moves like her name sounds: at a frenetic pace. She darts across the hall from the prenatal diagnosis clinic at Indiana University Health University Hospital in Indianapolis, sits down at her cubicle, puts on her headset over curly white blonde hair and starts dialing.

After the first day of a special session on education, Democratic lawmakers and the Republican Governor Bruce Rauner appear no closer to resolving the dispute that could hold up money for school districts. Rauner continues to demand Democrats send him the funding plan so he can change it and remove additional money for Chicago teacher pensions.